Prisoner
by NoSoundButTheWind
Summary: Zuko finds himself becoming increasingly more attracted to his female prisoner. Yep, Aang's a girl!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own ATLA. **

**Aang's POV**

I counted myself lucky that at least I hadn't been put in some sort of dark, horrible dungeon. On the contrary, the room the soldiers had left me in was almost nice. The bed was nothing more than a cot but it looked comfortable. The Fire Nation tapestry hanging on the wall wasn't quite as menacing as some would view it. There were a few candles, although they were unlit. Someone had even decorated the wall with what I assumed were antique broadswords. My hands and feet were bound uncomfortably tight. I wriggled, trying to loosen the ropes, but it was in vain. I sighed and leaned back against the wall. Who was this strange scarred man who had captured me? He seemed so angry. And so smug at making me his prisoner. I felt a growing sense of dislike towards him, but I told myself I would try not to hate him without even knowing him. He was somewhat mysterious, and I was curious.

The door slammed and I woke with a start. When had I fallen asleep? I was surprised to see that the person who had entered the room was none other than my captor. He was watching me from across the room.

"Who are you?" I asked him, trying not to sound too angry or impatient. If I wasn't civil, I doubted he would answer my questions.

"I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne!" he said defiantly, as if trying to prove it to me. "How have you, a mere girl, managed to evade me for three years?"

"I never evaded you," I told him. He sat down on the bed and started to remove his boots, and I came to a startling revelation. "Is this _your_ room?"

"Yes, this is my room. You'll be staying in here until we reach the Fire Nation. I'll be able to keep a close eye on you better than if you were somewhere else. But if you misbehave, I'll make sure you're put somewhere much less comfortable. Got it?"

"Fine," I muttered. Plans of escape were already starting to form in my mind. He would soon see that he was not dealing with just a "mere girl."

"I'm going to get a bath now," he said. "A servant should be here with dinner soon." With that, he turned and went into the bathroom. I got as comfortable as I could, and soon I had an escape plan all lined out…

**Zuko's POV**

I eased into the warm bath and relaxed. Three long years, and I had finally found the Avatar. Of course, I had expected an old man, but no matter. As long as this young girl was the Avatar, I was happy. I was going home. Father would welcome me back proudly. I washed quickly, not wanting to linger too long in the bathroom. I would have to keep a close eye on the Avatar. And I had a solution for making her much less likely to escape. I put on my sleeping robes and left the bathroom. The Avatar was asleep again, laying somewhat curled on the floor. Her long, dark hair covered her face, but I could hear her soft, slow breaths. She was so small, so young… I wondered how old she was. A light knock at the door made me tear my eyes away from her and I went to open the door. It was a servant with dinner. I asked him if he had followed my instructions carefully pertaining to the Avatar's dinner and he nodded. I dismissed him and shut the door. I set the food down carefully on my bed and went about awakening the sleeping girl.

"Avatar. Wake up!" She sat up quickly and her eyes flew open.

"Dinner is here. You need to eat. I can't have you wasting away before we reach our destination," I told her. I grabbed her plate of food and brought it over to her. She glanced down at the food momentarily and then brought her eyes up to meet mine.

"How am I supposed to eat if my hands are tied behind my back, Zuko?" she questioned almost innocently, pouting just a bit.

"I'll have to help you, I guess." I hadn't thought of that. This was going to be awkward. I got a spoonful of soup and brought it up to her lips. She ate it slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. We continued this way until the bowl was empty. Her eyes stayed locked on mine. Those huge, grey eyes with those long lashes…

"Thank you," she said politely. I realized that I had been staring at her again and quickly collected the dishes. I sat on my bed to eat my dinner, and glanced over at her every few minutes. The anti-bending serum that had been mixed with her soup would become effective momentarily, and then I would be able to untie her. She would be helpless without her bending, completely unable to escape. I finished my dinner and then approached her slowly. I kneeled in front of her and started to untie the ropes binding her legs. She gasped, in surprise I guess.

"Why are you untying me? Not that I mind or anything."

"There's no need for you to be tied anymore. You can't escape." I finished with the ropes on her legs, and she drew her knees up to her chest, presumably so that she wouldn't have to be so near me. I turned her so that her back was facing me, and untied her arms. She stood up instantly and released a torrent of bending at me. That is, she would have. She ended up looking rather stupid, her arms moving wildly but nothing happening.

"What! What did you do to me? What happened to my bending?" she screamed and turned a scared face to me. I almost felt bad. Almost. Until she flew at me and started hitting me with her fists. I grabbed her wrists and shoved her against the wall.

"If you hit me one more time, you can share my men's quarters. They would be quite glad to have a woman spend the night with them. Your bending is not gone forever, just for a while until we reach the Fire Nation. Is everything clear?"

She nodded, and I noticed how close our faces were. Just a few inches away. She seemed to realize it too, and gulped. I realized I was still gripping her wrists tightly and I released her. She stepped away from me quickly and sat against the opposite wall. She hugged her knees tightly and turned her face away from me. I sighed and got into bed. It had been a long day, and I was exhausted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own. **

**Aang's POV**

When I woke up, I was surprised to find that I was the only one in the room. A plate full of scrambled eggs and toast had been placed in front of me, but I ignored it. No way was I even touching anything else they tried to give me. And I didn't want to waste time eating breakfast. This was the perfect opportunity to explore Zuko's room. I stood up and stretched. Sleeping on the floor was no fun, but at least I wasn't tied-up anymore. I tentatively tried some airbending; nothing. I felt kind of empty without my bending. Luckily, my plan to escape didn't require bending.

I took my time looking around the room. I searched through Zuko's closet and looked under his bed. The only thing I found that was of any interest was a picture of some woman. She looked a bit like Zuko. Maybe it was his mother? Or older sister? I briefly contemplated taking the broadswords off the wall and using them to threaten Zuko when he came back, but I had never used swords before, and he could probably easily knock me down with his firebending. After exploring the room, I decided to take a long bath. And hopefully, Zuko would be back soon. It was time to put my plan into action…

**Zuko's POV **

I entered the room quickly, not wanting to give the Avatar a chance to slip out. I noticed that her breakfast plate was still full, and she was nowhere to be seen.

"Alright, come on out. I've had a long morning and I don't feel like playing games!" I shouted. I heard the bathroom door open and I turned to see the Avatar leaving the bathroom. She was wrapped in one of my towels, her hair still dripping wet.

"I was just taking a bath Zuko. Did you want me to wait until you were here?" she said coyly, coming closer. She smiled sweetly at me. Was she… _flirting _with _me_?

"No, you can take a bath anytime you want… Would you go put some clothes on?" I was strangely flustered. Stupid Avatar. She went back into the bathroom and reappeared several minutes later, this time in her clothes. "Ok, that's better. Now, why didn't you eat your breakfast? You've got to be hungry."

"I'm not stupid, darling. Obviously the anti-bending serum you gave me was in that soup last night. It could be in that food too."

Darling? Did she just call me darling? What kind of game was she trying to play?

**Aang's POV**

I could see that I had gotten him flustered. I moved closer until I was just a few feet away.

"Where have you been all morning? I was getting lonely," I pouted.

"What? Look, the food is fine. Maybe a little cold now, but there's nothing in it." He took a bite of the food and grimaced at eating the cold eggs. "I guess you're just going to have to wait until lunch if you don't want this."

It seemed like I was going to have to step up my efforts to seduce the prince. He was obviously very easily distracted by things such as cold eggs. He left the room, mumbling something about having to talk to his uncle. I sat on the bed and contemplated my next move.

**Zuko's POV**

"Well nephew, it sounds like the Avatar has a little crush on you," my uncle told me.

"That's absurd. Why would she have a…uh… crush on _me_? She's my prisoner." Sometimes I thought that maybe my uncle was going senile. The whole idea was completely unreasonable. Maybe her strange behavior was just a side effect from the anti-bending serum. That had to be it. I tried to go about my day normally, but I found my thoughts constantly returning to a certain grey-eyed girl and how odd she was acting. I dreaded returning to my room that night, but I couldn't avoid her forever…


	3. Chapter 3

_Milk0bar: Thanks for the review! Hope you like the new chapter!_

**Disclaimer: Not mine. **

**Zuko's POV**

When I finally returned to my room, I found the Avatar asleep on the floor. She slept an awful lot. I suppose there wasn't much else for her to do though, locked in my room all day. I got ready for bed and climbed under the covers, ready for a good night's rest…

**Aang's POV**

The sounds of whimpering woke me. I sat up and realized the noises were coming from Zuko's bed. I walked slowly over to the bed and saw that he was having some kind of nightmare. His body was curled, his face scrunched in fear. I put my hand on his shoulder and shook him. His eyes flew open and he jumped off the bed, getting down into a firebending stance.

"It's ok, it's ok! It's just me. You were having a nightmare, so I woke you up," I said soothingly. He dropped his fists and sat on the bed. I sat next to him and was pleasantly surprised to not be shoved off. He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

"No, not really. I just want to stop… having it. It's always the same. Almost every night."

"Ok. Do you want to talk about something else, to get your mind off of it?" He nodded and turned to face me.

"How old are you, Avatar? How is it that you're not an old woman?"

"I'm twelve. I'm not an old woman because I've been frozen in an iceberg for the past hundred years. I guess I was in some sort of suspended animation."

"How did you get frozen in an iceberg?" He frowned.

"I ran away from my temple during a storm, and my Sky Bison and I got caught in it. We fell into the ocean and I guess I froze us somehow so that we wouldn't drown."

"Why did you run away?" He was full of questions tonight. I sighed. Talking to him about this may have been helping him get his mind off of his nightmare, but it was making me feel worse.

"They were going to send me to another temple so that I could focus on my training more. There was a nun there that I was really close to; she was like a grandmother to me. She was the only one who still treated me like a normal girl after they told me I was the Avatar. The other nuns thought she was interfering with my training by letting me play games and relax. I didn't want to be sent away. I guess I was scared… I didn't want all those new responsibilities. So I ran away. I was a coward." I finished bitterly.

"You aren't a coward, Avatar. You're…" He trailed off and looked at the floor.

"My name is not 'Avatar'. It's Aang. Ok?" He nodded and the corners of his mouth turned up just a bit. I realized how close we were to each other. This was the perfect opportunity to work on my plan. I stretched my arms above my head and arched my back in what I hoped was an appealing way. I had lived with girls my whole life; I had no idea how to seduce a man! Hopefully he wouldn't catch on to what I was trying to do.

"It's cold in here!" I cuddled against Zuko's side and pretended to shiver. His eyes widened as he looked at me.

"I can give you a blanket…" he said, obviously mystified by my behavior. I shook my head and snuggled even more against him.

"A blanket won't be as warm as you," I cooed. I lay on the bed and pulled him down with me. I pressed myself up against him (he was quite warm, actually) and stared into his eyes. At first he looked startled, but then something changed in his face. His eyes softened and he reached a hand out and gently stroked my cheek. Then he realized what he was doing and how pressed up against him I was. He shoved me away and I fell with an "Oof!" onto the floor. I stood up angrily and he threw a blanket and pillow at me. I caught them just before they hit me in the face.

"Get on the floor where you belong!" he shouted.

"Excuse me? I belong on the floor?" I was steaming now. No one pushed me onto the floor and got away with it. I instinctively moved my arms in an airbending form and screamed in frustration when nothing happened.

**Zuko's POV**

I laughed automatically when she tried to bend and nothing happened. It was a bad decision on my part. She screamed and smacked me in the face with the pillow I had graciously given to her. I grabbed my own pillow and slammed it into her side. She made another angry noise and hit me with her pillow again. Soon it was a full-blown pillow fight. She was MAD. I found the situation hilarious. I lost it and started laughing hysterically. I think it was the first time I'd laughed like that in years. My laughing only infuriated her further and she raised the pillow above her head to give me another hard blow. I tackled her onto the bed and stole her pillow away. She started giggling and soon we were both laughing uncontrollably. I was surprised to find that I was having fun. Eventually our laughter faded away, and I became aware that I was still on top of her. She moved a bit uncomfortably beneath me, but when I tried to take my weight off of her she grabbed me by the front of my shirt and pulled my face down to meet hers. She pressed her lips against mine in a short, sweet kiss, and then rolled out from beneath me. She started to walk over to her spot by the wall, but I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back over to me. She didn't resist when I kissed her, moving my lips against hers passionately. Finally, I pulled away. She stood still and I kept my grip on her wrist.

"Does that I mean I don't have to sleep on the floor?" she asked quietly. I smiled and shook my head.

**Aang's POV**

The bed was just big enough for the two of us, as long as we didn't mind snuggling up a bit. We didn't. As Zuko drifted off to sleep, I lay awake. My plan had worked; it seemed Zuko had fallen for me. But I was falling for him too, which was NOT part of the plan.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: You all know…**

**Aang's POV: **

I sat perched on the ship's railing and watched Zuko train. He was sparring against several of his soldiers, his uncle there as his teacher. I felt bad for the soldiers. Zuko was a ferocious bender, commanding his fire skillfully. He defeated them, and wiped the sweat from his face before turning to me. I grinned widely and hopped off the railing.

"Nice bending! Will you teach me all that?" I asked. He smiled and grabbed my hand. I let him pull me along behind him. I had been on the ship several weeks now, and Zuko and I were getting closer and closer. He had told me that he didn't want to take me to the Fire Nation now that he felt the way he did about me, and that instead he would teach me firebending when I was ready.

"Where are we going?" I asked. He didn't answer, but instead pulled me into a secluded corridor and leaned down and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back happily. I found my thoughts straying to last night when we had done a lot more than kissing… Zuko had been so gentle and sweet, and he had told me that he loved me. I loved him too, and I wanted to make him happy. So even though I had broken the first rule of being a nun, I felt alright. My thoughts returned to the present as the sound of hurried footsteps came down the corridor. Zuko broke away. I turned to see one of his soldiers practically running towards us. Zuko straightened up and dropped my hand.

The soldier bowed and then spoke. "Prince Zuko, sir. A strange flying… creature has been spotted. It's coming right for the ship."

Zuko pushed the soldier aside and ran out onto the deck. I followed, hope bubbling up inside me. I joined Zuko and several soldiers on the deck and looked up into the sky. It was Appa! He swooped down and landed on the deck, rumbling a hello to me. The soldiers and Zuko immediately moved forward to attack. I grabbed Zuko's wrist, and was getting ready to explain that Appa was my flying bison when two figures jumped from Appa's back. It was Katara and Sokka. I rushed forward and put myself between them and the soldiers.

"Stop!" I shouted, and almost instinctively tried to summon a gust of air to push the soldiers away before I remembered that the anti-bending serum still hadn't worn off. Katara grabbed my arm and tried to pull me up onto Appa.

"Come on, Aang! Let's get out of here!" she screamed, bending water out of a pouch at her side to fend off the soldiers. I pulled away and ran over to Zuko.

"Zuko, these are my friends and that's my flying bison. Tell your soldiers to stop attacking!" He looked down at me almost sadly and shook his head. My heart dropped.

"Why would I do that? You are my prisoner, and I am taking you to the Fire Nation."

**Zuko's POV**

I felt a bit guilty as Aang backed away from me, her eyes wide with shock.

"But I thought you said you weren't anymore! I thought you lov-"

I cut her off. "I lied, and you believed me. I just said those things so that there would be no chance you would try to escape." But as I spoke I knew that when I had told her that I loved her I had not been lying. At first I had simply been using the plan she had been trying to use on me; pretending to be in love. But sometime during these past few weeks I had truly fallen in love with her. And last night we had… Still, I couldn't throw away my mission of nearly three years just because the Avatar was a pretty girl. There were plenty of pretty girls in the world. I could find another. I was going to take her to the Fire Nation and my father was going to be proud of me for once. I grabbed her arm and commanded the soldiers to attack the Water Tribe peasants. Aang looked at me with fire in her eyes and brought her foot up to kick me in between the legs. I folded over in pain and she wrenched her arm away from me. I looked up just in time to see her jump onto the bison with her friends and fly away. I was surprised to find that I was more sad than angry about her departure. And the sense of guilt about hurting her was overwhelming.

**Aang's POV**

Katara and Sokka told me how they had been looking for me ever since Zuko had taken me from their village. I was grateful and I told them so, but I was having trouble focusing on all that they were saying. I couldn't believe Zuko had lied to me! I was hurt, but I was determined to not cry. Along with the hurt came anger. Anger at Zuko, and at myself for being so stupid. I thought about last night… I had made a terrible mistake.

"Aang, what happened between you and Zuko? Why were you so surprised that he was taking you to the Fire Nation?" Katara asked me concernedly.

"He tricked me into becoming his friend. He told me he wasn't taking me to the Fire Nation. I was stupid, so incredibly stupid! I believed him!" Katara pulled me into a hug.

"It's ok, Aang. You're safe now. And you aren't stupid. You just expect the best of people. Unfortunately, Prince Zuko isn't a good person," she comforted me.

"Yeah, he's a lousy firebender!" chimed in Sokka. I nodded and took my place on Appa's head. As nice as Katara and Sokka were being, I didn't feel like talking. I sat quietly and tried to hold back the sobs threatening to burst forth.


	5. Chapter 5

**Aang's POV**

I pulled hard against the ropes and tried to ignore the gross sensation of the half-frozen frogs moving inside my shirt. I seriously needed to get some pockets. Just as soon as I escaped from Zhao, that is. I hung my head. I had no idea how I was going to get out. I was worried for Sokka and Katara, who were probably getting sicker by the minute. And there was the secret I was keeping from everyone… what would Zhao do if he found out? I lifted my head at the sound of the doors opening, ready to blow Zhao against the wall again. But it wasn't Zhao. A masked figure stood in the doorway holding two swords. They looked vaguely familiar… I didn't have long to try and place the memory though because the figure suddenly rushed towards me with them. I screamed, but instead of meeting my skin the swords cut through the bindings at my wrists and ankles. I was confused. Who was this masked figure who had come to rescue me? And where had I seen those swords before?

**Zuko's POV**

I awoke to a massive headache. The last thing I remembered was escaping Zhao's fortress with the Avatar (I was determined to no longer think of her as 'Aang') my captive once more. I squinted against the bright morning sun and looked at my surroundings. The Avatar was sitting on a large tree branch with a strange look on her face. She noticed me watching her and turned her face to mine. She was silent for a moment, and then spoke quietly.

"How's your head?"

I ignored her. The events of last night slowly came back to me. I had been hit by one of the Yu Yan Archer's arrows. I must have been knocked out. And since I was here instead of in Zhao's clutches… the Avatar must have carried me to safety. I sat up and winced as my head throbbed painfully. The Avatar made a strange noise and I turned to look at her. She suddenly bolted behind the tree and I could hear splattering as she was sick. I was disgusted, but I felt the urge to comfort her as well. She came around the tree and I saw she was a little pale. She sat down and glared at me.

"This is entirely your fault," she said angrily.

"How is it my fault that you're sick?" I was astounded at the accusation. She didn't seem the type to blame people unfairly. She averted her eyes and didn't answer. This was, of course, the perfect opportunity for me to spring. I lunged forward and grabbed her, pulling rope from my pocket. She growled angrily and thrust me away from her with a powerful blast of air. I conjured a fistful of fire and prepared for battle. The Avatar was one who would always choose flight over fight however. She sprang away through the treetops with agility, although a bit slower than she usually fled. I stood and watched her until she vanished, and then turned to begin the walk back to my ship.

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_Sorry it's so short! I promise the next chapter will be longer, and Aang's secret will be revealed to those who haven't figured it out already. : )_

_P.S. Please, oh pretty please, review!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA.**

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed and those who are reading!_

_This chapter will take place during the episode "Bato of the Water Tribe" and the book one finale. _

**Aang's POV**

I left the little hut quietly. Bato was nice, but the sea prune stew was not. And I felt like an unwelcome intruder into their stories and fond memories. I perched on the Water Tribe boat and sighed. I knew Katara and Sokka missed their Dad, and now that they were presented with an opportunity to find him, I didn't think they were going to turn it down. It seemed I was going to be left to journey to the Northern Water Tribe alone. Well, not totally alone. I would have Appa and Momo. And… I lifted my shirt and peered down at my stomach. I still couldn't believe that something was growing in there. But whether I wanted to believe it or not, I knew in my heart that it was true. I was pregnant. With none other than Prince Zuko's child.

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I slammed hard against the roof and my breath was knocked out of me. I struggled to my feet as Zuko ran at me with his fists ablaze. I didn't want to fight him, but he obviously wanted to fight me. It was going to be interesting telling my baby about his or her daddy, that's for sure. _"Sweetie, if we ever see your Daddy, we have to run, because Daddy wants to capture Mommy and throw her in prison." _I grimaced and tried to focus on the fight.

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**Zuko's POV**

The blizzard raged on outside and I knew that we were lucky I had spotted this cave. I glanced at Aang tied and leaning against the wall. The arrow peeping out from beneath her long, dark hair glowed and her eyes were shut. She shivered violently, and I frowned. Her freezing to death would not be a good thing. I crossed the cave silently and gingerly touched her arm. The eyes remained shut and she didn't move. I sat down and gently pulled her into my lap, praying to Agni that she wouldn't wake up. My prayers weren't answered. Her arrow stopped glowing and her eyes opened. She struggled against the ropes and tried to twist around to face me. I let her turn around but then tightened my arms around her so that she couldn't move anymore.

"Zuko," she snarled. "Let me go!" I simply shook my head and kept my grip on her. I was determined to not let her escape me again. She continued to thrash against me and her stormy grey eyes tightened in anger. She took in a huge breath of air and blew it into my face. I flew against the side of the cave but managed to keep hold of her, so she came with me. I ended up on my back with her on top of me. She continued to struggle for a while, but then she got tired and lay still. Or maybe she just realized it was futile. I sat up slowly, keeping her in my lap.

"Are you quite finished?" I asked. An angry grumble was her only response.

"Why are you holding me?" she spat out after a few minutes of silence, turning to look at me with stormy grey eyes.

"You were shivering. I didn't want you to freeze to death."

"Maybe I'd rather freeze to death! Let go of me!"

I relinquished my hold on her and she tumbled to the floor. I bit back a smug grin. I knew that when she realized how cold the cave was, she'd come back to me. It was only a matter of time.

In about ten minutes, she was shivering just as violently as before. Every once in a while she would try to inch her way towards the cave entrance, but I'd just pick her up and bring her to the back of the cave. She'd been throwing threats at me every few minutes too.

Now she was silent, except for the chattering of her teeth. I sighed and made my way over to her. She kept her face deliberately turned away from me as she spoke.

"Fine. I don't want to freeze to death. Can you… warm me up?"

I stifled a laugh at the unintended innuendo and swept her into my arms. She stiffened and then, realizing how warm I was, snuggled into my chest. My cheeks reddened as I thought of another time I had held her in my arms…

**Aang's POV**

As Zuko held me, I realized that I was his prisoner in more ways than one. I was his prisoner because even after all he had done to me, I was in love with him. And I was going to be having his child. I knew that I should tell him I was pregnant, now that I had the chance. I opened my mouth and shut it again. What if he didn't care? I was just a prize to him. Perhaps the baby would be too. What if it was an airbender? He could present his father with the Avatar and her baby. I vowed to keep my secret from him. As I fretted about this, I heard a low groan and then an excited cry from outside the cave. Appa! And Katara! Zuko dropped me to the floor and assumed a battle stance as Katara rushed into the cave.

"Here for a rematch?" he asked her.

"Trust me, Zuko, it's not going to be much of a match." Katara wasn't lying. She knocked Zuko out easily and we ran to where Appa was waiting. I was just about to say "Yip, yip!" when I realized that if we left Zuko lying in the snow, he would freeze to death. Against the protests of my friends, I settled him into the saddle. We flew away, and I anxiously thought about the battle ahead.

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_Reviews are nice but not required. :) _


	7. Chapter 7

_We're jumping ahead here to the season two finale in Ba Sing Se. Aang is about three and a half months pregnant. She has told the others in the group by now, but Zuko still has no idea. We start out with Zuko and Katara in the crystal catacombs._

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA.**

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**Katara's POV**

He was completely and utterly despicable. It was all I could do to stop myself from launching myself at him and tearing his eyes out. Thanks to him, Aang was pregnant and heartbroken. I knew firebenders were evil, but it was a new low to lie about falling in love. Aang was innocent and naïve; she didn't know about tricks like that.

"Is this some new plan of yours? You know Aang will come to rescue me and then you'll have her in your little Fire Nation clutches?"

"No. I'm a prisoner here just like you."

"Yeah? Well, you deserve it! What you did to Aang was terrible! Tricking her into loving you and then getting her into your bed! How dare you!"

He looked surprised. "She told you about… all that?"

"Yes, she told me! Because I'm her best friend and she trusts me!"

His eyes grew sad and he looked down at the ground. An act to try and coax sympathy from me, no doubt. "How is Aang?"

"How is she? Thanks to you, she was puking up her guts for a while, and now she can't sleep so she's tired all the time-" I stopped abruptly. I'd almost said too much. Zuko couldn't know about Aang's… condition.

"She's sick?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. Did he honestly think I was going to fall for this?

"Why do you care anyways? She's not your friend. All you care about is getting her to the Fire Nation and having your glory! You don't care about the world and you don't care about her!"

He was just about to speak again when the wall near us exploded.

**Zuko's POV**

I managed to hold in my shout of surprise and looked up to see my uncle and Aang stepping from the giant hole in the wall. My uncle ran over to me immediately and threw his arms around me. Aang ran to Katara.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Saving you, that's what," Aang replied caustically. She did look pretty tired, but other than that she didn't look ill. Except… maybe she had gained a little weight? Perhaps living in Ba Sing Se had turned her into a glutton. She was as beautiful as always, nevertheless.

"Come on Aang, we have to go," said Katara. She tugged Aang's arm and they ran out of sight. My uncle turned to me with a grave look in his eyes.

"Zuko, did you notice anything about the Avatar?"

"Well… I know it isn't polite to say so, but she looks like she's gained a bit of weight."

My uncle nodded and furrowed his brow. "She doesn't seem like the type, does she? She seems very tired too, and slightly irritable. It's all very odd. Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say she was pregnant."

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(_A/N: Now we move ahead to where Aang has just entered the Avatar state. Still in Zuko's POV.)_

She rose above us all, her dark hair billowing out behind her. Her tattoos glowed brightly and I knew everyone fighting against her didn't stand a chance now. I underestimated Azula, something no one should ever do. My eyes were still on Aang when her body suddenly convulsed and I felt electricity in the air. I moved my gaze to behind her now falling body and saw Azula, still poised in the position necessary to generate lightning.

I was knocked down by a giant wave of water as Katara propelled herself forward. She caught Aang just in time. I staggered to my feet and stared with horror at the people who were supposedly my enemies. I should have felt elation; my side had won. I felt only numb shock and a wrenching pain in my chest. She couldn't be dead. She couldn't be. Not Aang.

Tears streamed down Katara's face and I saw that she was whispering something. I couldn't hear what it was, but I was able to read her lips. "The baby,the baby_" _she was saying. At first I was confused. Then it struck me. Aang _had_ been pregnant. But who was the father? A handy flashback provided me with the answer.

*Flashback*

_I had been hit by one of the Yu Yan Archer's arrows. I must have been knocked out. And since I was here instead of in Zhao's clutches… the Avatar must have carried me to safety. I sat up and winced as my head throbbed painfully. The Avatar made a strange noise and I turned to look at her. She suddenly bolted behind the tree and I could hear splattering as she was sick. I was disgusted, but I felt the urge to comfort her as well. She came around the tree and I saw she was a little pale. She sat down and glared at me._

_"This is entirely your fault," she said angrily._

*End of Flashback*

My fault that she was sick. My fault. I understood now. She had had morning sickness. And it was my fault because _I_ had gotten her pregnant._ I_ was the father. And now Aang was probably dead and so was the baby. My baby.

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_Sorry it's taken me so long to update, I've been busy with school and a trip to California. Thanks to everyone who has been favoriting, leaving reviews, and reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA. **

**Aang's POV**

Pain. It was all I felt. I tried to remember my name, my age, anything. Nothing came. I struggled to open my eyes, fighting against the heavy cloak of darkness. Something was placed at my lips and a warm liquid slid down my throat. I swallowed instinctively. My head was pounding and my body was on fire. I imagined the flames licking at my skin, imagined burning alive. I slipped back into the darkness.

**Katara's POV**

Apart from the time the Fire Nation had invaded my village and taken my mother, I had never been so scared in my life. I was afraid that Aang was going to die and that I wouldn't be able to stop it. She had been unconscious for almost two weeks now. Sometimes it seemed like she was waking up; her eyelids would flutter, almost opening, but not quite. Sometimes she would murmur things I couldn't understand. Once she convulsed as if the lightning was coursing through her body all over again. Most of the time she just lay still.

I was able to coax her to swallow warm broth at least once a day. Half of my attempts at getting her to swallow it ended up in her coughing and spraying it everywhere. I was worried that she might choke, but I knew that if she didn't get some nutrients the baby would die. I would place my hands on her stomach every day and wait until I felt the baby's weak kicking, telling me that it was still alive.

**Aang's POV**

I opened my eyes cautiously. My thoughts were slowed by a thick fog and I tried to start figuring out where I was. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat up. I was overcome by dizziness and I had to pause for a moment. I surveyed the room. My mind took in the facts. Metal. Box-shaped. Red Fire Nation tapestry. Alarm bells went off in my head and I sprang to my feet too fast for my weak legs. They almost buckled beneath me but I clutched onto the side of the bed and kept myself off the floor. I saw my staff leaning against the wall and I grabbed it. Ignoring a strong feeling of nausea, I stumbled out the door and up the long hallway. I saw two Fire Nation soldiers and threw an arc of air at them. They shouted and came running after me. I came to a short flight of stairs and crawled up them. I collapsed at the top and almost blacked out.

"Twinkletoes! That's gotta be you!"

I was enveloped by three pairs of arms.

"Aang! You're finally awake!" I heard Katara say. I nodded, although I wasn't quite sure that this was reality. Why were we on a Fire Nation ship?

Sokka explained everything soon after. Katara continued to thrust bowl after bowl of soup into my hands and I slurped it all down eagerly. I was starving! I smiled every time I felt the baby move inside me. Whether it was a boy or a girl, the baby was ok.

I grew silent when Sokka explained that the whole world thought I was dead. Everyone thought I had failed…

"Look, Aang. It actually really works out. See, the Fire Nation thinks you're dead too! So when we attack them, it'll be like a sneak attack!" Sokka said triumphantly.

"So Azula thinks I'm dead too?" I asked him.

"Yep, her and all her little cronies."

I gave a little smile and said calmly, "Good. Then she won't know what hit her when I find her and beat her ass for almost killing my baby."

Katara's eyes bugged out and Sokka looked surprised, but Toph just snickered.


	9. Chapter 9

_I have returned! I am so sorry for how long it has been since I've updated. Anyways, I am continuing this story and hope to update at least every few weeks until it is finished! I am also planning a drabble series (Zukaang, of course!) too. So this chapter takes place during the Western Air Temple episode. I know I've skipped a lot since the last chapter, but the point of this story is the interaction between Aang and Zuko, so I wanted to move to that point. I'm sure we've all seen the episodes and know what happens up until this point. Well, enough of this! On with the story! _

**_Disclaimer:_**If I owned Avatar, everyone would have killed me for taking so long with this...

**Zuko's POV**

I had never expected them to say yes. I must have truly been their last resort for Aang's firebending teacher. The Water tribe boy had shown me to a room in the temple, and Katara had already come by and threatened to kill me if it even looked like I was going to make another mistake. I wanted to find Aang and talk to her, apologize, tell her I would help raise the child we had created. I could tell that it was almost time for it to be born; her swollen stomach didn't look right on her small frame. I didn't know how she was going to be able to fight my father in her condition. What had I done to this girl's life?

I was already set on skipping dinner rather than having to face the group, when I heard footsteps outside my room and the door flew open. At first I was sure it was Katara, and that she had decided to kill me before I even had the chance to make another mistake. I looked up and saw that it was the blind earthbender whose feet I had burned. Toph, I believe her name was.

"Hey, Sparky, you coming to dinner or are you just going to sit in here and sulk?"

"Sparky? Actually, my name is Zuko." She was obviously a little confused.

"Ha, yeah, I know. I give everyone in the group a nickname though. Katara's Sugar Queen, Sokka is Snoozles, Aang is Twinkletoes. And you're Sparky."

I could tell by the way she said it that there would be no argument.

"So, are you coming to dinner? You don't want to give Katara the satisfaction of watching you starve to death, do you?"

I stood up reluctantly. It had been a while since I had eaten, so I was pretty hungry. "Fine, I'm coming."

Toph smirked. "Don't worry, I won't let them kill you."

**Aang's POV**

I was on my second bowl of soup when Toph came back, Zuko lagging behind her. I tried to stay focused on eating. It was inevitable that I would have to talk and interact with him eventually, when he started teaching me, but I wasn't ready to be friendly just yet.

He sat down by Toph and Katara thrust a bowl of soup at him viciously. It sloshed out of the bowl and onto his hand, and he winced slightly at the heat.

"Thank you, Katara."

I was surprised he was able to be polite. The rest of the evening passed slowly. Sokka talked about battle plans, Toph chiming in with her opinions. Katara ate quietly, keeping a wary eye on Zuko.

Eventually, people started to disperse for the night. The Duke, Haru, and Teo went off to explore a little more. Sokka grabbed his sleeping bag and Toph made an earth tent. Katara laid out her sleeping bag as well, but she came over to me before crawling into it.

"Where are you planning on sleeping tonight, Aang?" I could tell she was concerned about Zuko possibly kidnapping me during the night. I was a little afraid of that myself.

"With Appa, like always."

She nodded, seemingly satisfied with that. I guess she figured a giant bison would be able to protect me.

"Ok, hun, good night. Come wake me up if you need anything." She gave me a hug and patted my swollen stomach before walking over to her sleeping bag.

I sighed. I was tired, but I didn't know if I would be able to sleep very well tonight after everything that had happened today. I looked into the fire. Someone cleared their throat and I looked up. My eyes widened; everyone had left except for Zuko and I. I pushed myself to my feet, not wanting to be alone with him.

"Aang, wait… can we talk?" He looked up at me, his eyes pleading.

I didn't answer, but I stayed where I was, giving him a chance to say what he wanted to. He stared at my stomach, a mixture of emotions moving across his face. I put my hands over my belly subconsciously.

"It is mine, isn't it." It wasn't a question; I could tell he knew the answer, but I nodded anyways.

He stood up suddenly and rushed towards me. Fear rose in me and I tried to back up, but stumbled. I felt myself falling backwards.

**Zuko's POV**

I caught her just as she airbended a cushion behind her, propelling her forward. She ended up falling into my arms and knocking me backwards. We both crashed to the ground. Luckily, I cushioned her fall. She got off of me immediately, coming to an awkward seat on the ground.

"What are you trying to do?" I had clearly scared her and made her angry. Wow, so much for trying to be her friend again.

"I'm sorry, I was just…" I had actually been trying to hug her. I decided maybe I should just try again; she was sitting now, so it would surely be easier. I moved slower this time, and she watched me as I inched closer, her face suspicious. I lifted my arms at the last moment and threw them around her before she had a chance to scoot away.

"Oh, um, ok." She sat stiffly.

"I thought Azula had killed you… both of you. I'm so sorry…" I tried to keep my emotions under control, but I could hear myself getting choked up.

She pushed me away suddenly. "She did! Well, me anyways. It's only thanks to Katara that I'm here right now. She brought me back. If you hadn't fought against us-" She stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't argue with you." Her voice was quiet, resigned.

I wanted to hug her again. It seemed like after all I had done, she had still been able to forgive me. "Aang, about the baby… I want to help raise him. Or her. I know it might be hard for you to trust me, and that's completely understandable, but it's my child too."

She looked down at her stomach and didn't respond for several minutes. When she finally did, her voice was like ice. "You may be part of our group now, but don't think that makes everything ok between us. You've done a pretty lousy job of helping me with this baby so far. As far as I'm concerned, you haven't even earned the right to be called its father. Maybe that'll change, and maybe it won't. For right now, the only thing you are to me is my teacher." She stood up and walked away before I had a chance to reply.

It looked like I was going to have to work pretty hard to get back into her good graces. After all this time, I still loved her, but it looked like the love she had once had for me was completely gone.


	10. Chapter 10

_Ok, here we go with chapter ten! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and is reading! _

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**Aang's POV**

I had to admit, I was somewhat relieved that Zuko's firebending abilities had mysteriously disappeared. I had not been looking forward to awkward training sessions with him, especially since it seemed he would have more of Toph's teaching style rather than Katara's. The baby had been pretty active lately too; I was surprised my stomach wasn't bruised from his or her kicking. At any rate, it was nice to just sit and rest while Zuko futilely tried to produce huge blasts of fire.

I sighed and laid down on the tree stump I was sitting on as he groaned in frustration. My swollen stomach blocked my view of him.

"Maybe you should just stop for now."

"How am I supposed to teach you if I can't even firebend properly?" He turned to me and I propped myself up on my elbows.

"Relax. I'm sure it'll all come back…eventually." Hopefully not for at least a week. And maybe Toph would ease off on her earthbending lessons. Then I could have a nice, quiet week to explore the temple! I smiled in wishful thinking and collapsed back onto the stump, my hands resting on my stomach.

**Zuko's POV**

This was beyond humiliating. Aang and her friends had finally accepted me into their group, and now I was basically useless to them. I couldn't help but think that the world enjoyed playing cruel jokes on me.

Aang had been watching me quietly all morning, sometimes uttering small comments that I think were meant to be encouraging. Until her last one, when she told me to give it a rest.

I finally relaxed from my stance and turned to face my student. She was laying on a large tree stump, her slim legs hanging over the edge and her small hands rubbing her stomach absentmindedly. I swallowed, reminded again that our child was growing inside of her. I couldn't help but think of her words from the previous night; as far as she was concerned, I was to have no part in the kid's life.

I walked over to her and she struggled to sit up and look at me.

"It's ok, Zuko. Your firebending will come back strong as ever and you'll be able to start teaching me tomorrow." She smiled reassuringly at me.

"Why are you being so friendly all of a sudden?" She had shown no interest in being friends last night. I was a little suspicious.

She sighed and let herself fall back on the stump. "I'm too tired to hold a grudge anymore. What happened, happened and we can't change it. Me being mean to you won't help anything. So, I've decided to stop being a child about it and treat you just like I treat everyone else in our group." She lifted herself with airbending and stood in front of me, her head tilted upwards to peer into my eyes. "I'm sorry for hurting you, if I did."

I didn't think I would ever hear those words from her. "I'm glad to hear that. And Aang? I'm sorry too." I looked down at her, wondering if she would accept a hug or not. I didn't have to wonder for very long; she stepped forwards and slipped her arms around my waist, her pregnant belly pressing against me. I wrapped my own arms around her but she left the embrace quickly anyways.

"Thanks, Zuko." She yawned suddenly. "I think I'm going to see if I can get any sleep before dinner, if we're done with training for now."

"Go ahead. I can't teach you anything until I figure out how to get my bending back to normal." If I wasn't able to, I was afraid the rest of the group, especially Katara, would see no reason to let me stay with them any longer.

She gave me a reassuring smile before turning and wandering back to the main area of the temple.

With a sigh, I fell into a firebending stance and continued my vain attempts.

**Aang's POV**

_ The baby was coming. It felt like I was being split apart, like I was on fire. I screamed for Katara, for Sokka, Toph, Zuko, anyone. No one came; I was alone to bring the baby into the world myself. _

_ Suddenly, the pain stopped and I heard the baby's cries. I sat up and looked down at my child, expecting to see a face that looked something like my own and Zuko's. _

_ I screamed in horror. The baby had a scar like Zuko's, only it covered the baby's entire face. The blistered skin began bubbling and the baby cried even louder in pain. I screamed again and started to cry with him. I picked up my baby and held him tightly, screaming for help._

**Zuko's POV**

I still had no idea why, but it was clear now that my bending was much weaker than it used to be. I would not be able to teach Aang at the level it had been reduced to. I went to find her, embarrassed but knowing that I had to tell her.

I remembered that she had said was going to take a nap, so I began to check the empty Air Temple rooms. As I entered a hallway, I heard whimpers coming from one of the rooms. They sounded familiar and I rushed into the room as I realized it was Aang.

She was curled on the bed, the blankets thrown onto the floor. Her face was scrunched in pain, sweat on her brow. Her fists clenched and she whined.

I placed my hands on her shoulders and shook her gently. She awoke with a gasp and stared at me.

"Aang? You ok?" My hands remained on her shoulders.

She stared at me for another moment before her eyes welled with tears and she pitched forward, beginning to sob into my chest. I was surprised and did nothing at first.

"The baby… it was a monster!" I heard her sob out and realized her nightmare must have been about our baby.

I rubbed her back reassuringly. "It's ok. There's no way the baby's going to be a monster. He'll be perfectly healthy and adorable, I'm sure."

She let loose one more shuddering sob before straightening back up. She used her sleeve to wipe the tears away and gave me a weak smile. "Ok."

I stood up to leave, knowing that this was not the best time to tell her that I couldn't teach her firebending. She grabbed my sleeve and tugged me back, however.

"Please, don't go. Just stay for a little while?" Her face was red from crying and her hair was a tangled mess. Her shirt sleeve was wet with snot and tears. Her eyes were pleading. She was beautiful and helpless at that moment, and I couldn't bring myself to say no.

I allowed her to tug me back onto the bed and she practically crawled into my lap. I leaned back against the wall and she closed her eyes as her head came to rest on my shoulder. She squeaked suddenly and I looked down at her. I didn't resist when she grabbed my hand and placed it against her stomach.

"There, you feel it? The baby's kicking again."

A rush of emotions hit me as I felt the fast, strong kicks of the baby I had helped create. Aang smiled and snuggled herself against me and I could tell that something had changed between us again. She no longer hated me. She was coming to me for comfort and she wasn't afraid to let me touch her. I could only hope that our relationship would get back to what it was on my ship, when she had loved me and I had loved her.

I underestimated the mood swings of pregnant ladies, as I would soon find out. I also underestimated the power of a certain Waterbender's hatred…

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_Get ready for crazy-scary Katara next chapter... And Aang will have some crazy, funny mood swings. Although they are not so funny for poor Zuko. :( _


	11. Chapter 11

_Here's Chapter 11! Prepare for hormonal Aang... Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, etc_

**_Disclaimer_****_: _**_ATLA is not mine. _

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**Katara's POV**

I walked around the temple quickly, trying not to panic. Aang had told me earlier that day where she and Zuko would be practicing, but when I had gone to fetch her for dinner, they were nowhere to be found. I entered another hallway, peering into each room. Maybe they had ended early and Aang had gone to take a nap? I had been telling her to get more rest, after all. I could care less where Zuko was, as long as he wasn't with her.

As I reached the end of the hallway, I saw that one of the doorways was slightly ajar. I pushed it open and entered the small room. What I saw made my worry turn to pure rage.

It seemed that Aang had decided to take my advice. She was sleeping on the small bed, breathing peacefully. The only problem? Zuko was sleeping on the bed with her! He was pushed against the wall and she was curled into his chest, practically on top of him so that they could both fit on the narrow bed. I immediately drew a long whip of water out of the pouch resting on my hip and slapped Zuko on the cheek with it. He jolted awake, nearly causing Aang to topple onto the floor.

**Zuko's POV**

I felt Aang slipping off of me as I was rudely awakened by the waterbending peasant and wrapped one of my arms around her to keep her from falling onto the floor. She groaned but kept her eyes closed as she spoke.

"Is it time to get up already?"

Katara stood in the center of the room, shooting daggers at me with her blue eyes. "Yes, Aang, it is time for dinner." Her voice was just as cold as the water she had slapped me with.

I slipped out from underneath my pregnant student and approached Katara. "Katara, can we please talk outside for a minute?"

She continued to glare at me but nodded.

Aang remained on the bed, throwing the blanket over her head.

Once outside the room, Katara shut the door and turned on me. "What do you think you're doing? The only reason you're here is to teach Aang firebending! If you're not training, I don't want you near her! Is that clear?" Her voice escalated to a yell and I frowned down at her.

"Isn't that up to Aang? She asked me to stay with her." I returned her glare. "And I'm not about to start taking orders from you."

"I know what's best for Aang. And I'm going to make sure you can't hurt her again. If that means I have to get rid of you, I will, one way or another!"

The door opened behind us and Aang stepped out, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Can you please stop yelling at each other?"

Katara turned to her. "I'm sorry. Are you hungry? Dinner's all ready."

Aang's face lit up as she nodded. "Am I!"

**Aang's POV**

I didn't know how to stop Zuko and Katara from fighting. They glared at each other all through dinner. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Guys! Can you please stop glaring at each other!" I slammed my bowl onto the ground and stood up. "I'm tired of all this!" I didn't wait for their response, turning around and stalking away from everyone.

I heard Toph snigger. "Someone's hormonal."

Sokka laughed too.

I whirled back around. "Oh, that's really funny! Why don't you try walking around with twenty extra pounds? And always being thirsty but constantly having to pee! Don't get me started on what happens if I sneeze! My whole body hurts and the baby kicks all night so I can't get any sleep and when I finally do sleep I have the weirdest dreams that make me wake up and then I have to get out of bed to go to the bathroom _again_, and I have to train all day and I'm just so tired…" At some point I realized that I had started to cry as well as laugh somewhat insanely. "And I don't know how I'm supposed to save the world when I can't even walk faster than an old woman and I'm fatter than a cow-hippo! So the last thing I need is people fighting with each other and laughing at me!" I finished my tirade, panting.

Everyone stared back at me, in shock and silent. I was beginning to feel embarrassed for my outburst, so I turned and walked away as fast as I could. Surprisingly, Sokka was the first one to chase after me.

**Sokka's POV**

I felt terrible. Toph had made that joke and I had laughed, and now Aang was walking away in tears. I glanced at our group, gathered around the fire, and noticed that no one else was making a move to go after her. Toph was staring down at the ground, looking ashamed. Katara and Zuko were alternating between glaring at each other and concernedly watching Aang leave. It was up to me then.

I jumped to my feet and went after my friend. I caught up to her quickly; she wasn't exaggerating when she said the old woman thing. "Aang, wait!" I grabbed her shoulder and spun her to face me. Her face was wet with tears and they were still spilling out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sokka. I shouldn't have yelled like that. And I don't know why I'm crying, I just-"

I pulled her into my arms. "No, I'm sorry. Toph shouldn't have made that joke and I shouldn't have laughed." Having her pressed against me, I was made aware of how large Aang's stomach had really grown. It dawned on me that she was nearly seven months pregnant now; the baby wasn't too far off. I also noticed how her head came just below my chin and, aside from her stomach, she was still small. She felt helpless and my protective instincts started to kick in.

She peeled her face away from my chest and looked up at me. As our eyes met, I gave her a reassuring smile. Aang was one of my best friends; I cared for her deeply and I hated to see her so upset. I gave her another tight squeeze before stepping away.

"I'll talk to Katara, ok? Tell her to stop fighting with Zuko. Everything's going to be ok." I had trouble believing my own words though. How was Aang going to fight the Fire Lord when she was this pregnant?

We started back towards the fire and I felt her slip her hand into mine.

"Thanks, Sokka."

**Zuko's POV**

I was going in the direction Aang and then Sokka had both gone when I saw them coming towards me. I rushed over to them and grabbed Aang into a hug.

"Are you ok? Katara and I talked and we've sorted everything out. We won't fight anymore."

One of her arms wrapped around my neck and she nodded in answer to my question. Her other arm was stuck out behind her though, and I let my eyes trail down her arm until they reached her hand. Which was clutching one of Sokka's hands. I glanced at him and he blushed a deep crimson color, dropping Aang's hand immediately.

We made our way back to the others, still gathered around the fire, and Katara and Toph both apologized to Aang. I looked at Sokka again but he avoided eye contact.

Aang sat down and began eating again, but I saw her give a small smile to Sokka. I made a point to ask Toph if anything had ever happened between "Twinkletoes" and "Snoozles." I was just getting Aang to like me again; I was NOT going to lose her to some Water Tribe kid.

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_A little bit of Sokaang! :D What will Toph say to Zuko? And when will Aang finally pop? Thanks for reading! _


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